31 research outputs found
An approach for the automatic verification of blockchain protocols: the Tweetchain case study
No full textThis paper proposes a model-driven approach for the security modelling and analysis of blockchain based protocols. The modelling is built upon the definition of a UML profile, which is able to capture transaction-oriented information. The analysis is based on existing formal analysis tools. In particular, the paper considers the Tweetchain protocol, a recent proposal that leverages online social networks, i.e., Twitter, for extending blockchain to domains with small-value transactions, such as IoT. A specialized textual notation is added to the UML profile to capture features of this protocol. Furthermore, a model transformation is defined to generate a Tamarin model, from the UML models, via an intermediate well-known notation, i.e., the Alice &Bob notation. Finally, Tamarin Prover is used to verify the model of the protocol against some security properties. This work extends a previous one, where the Tamarin formal models were generated by hand. A comparison on the analysis results, both under the functional and non-functional aspects, is reported here too
Towards a UML profile for data intensive applications
No full textData intensive applications that leverage Big Data technologies are rapidly gaining market trend. However, their design and quality assurance are far from satisfying software engineers needs. In fact, a CapGemini research shows that only 13% of organizations have achieved full-scale production for their Big Data implementations. We aim at addressing an early design and a quality evaluation of data intensive applications, being our goal to help software engineers on assessing quality metrics, such as the response time of the application. We address this goal by means of a quality analysis tool-chain. At the core of the tool, we are developing a Profile that converts the Unified Modeling Language into a domain specific modeling language for quality evaluation of data intensive applications
Security modelling and formal verification of survivability properties: Application to cyber–physical systems
No full textThe modelling and verification of systems security is an open research topic whose complexity and importance needs, in our view, the use of formal and non-formal methods. This paper addresses the modelling of security using misuse cases and the automatic verification of survivability properties using model checking. The survivability of a system characterises its capacity to fulfil its mission (promptly) in the presence of attacks, failures, or accidents, as defined by Ellison. The original contributions of this paper are a methodology and its tool support, through a framework called surreal. The methodology starts from a misuse case specification enriched with UML profile annotations and obtains, as a by-product, a survivability assessment model (SAM). Using predefined queries the survivability properties are proved in the SAM. A total of fourteen properties have been formulated and also implemented in surreal, which encompasses tools to model the security specification, to create the SAM and to prove the properties. Finally, the paper validates the methodology and the framework using a cyber–physical system (CPS) case study, in the automotive field
Security modelling and formal verification of survivability properties: Application to cyber–physical systems
No full textThe modelling and verification of systems security is an open research topic whose complexity and importance needs, in our view, the use of formal and non-formal methods. This paper addresses the modelling of security using misuse cases and the automatic verification of survivability properties using model checking. The survivability of a system characterises its capacity to fulfil its mission (promptly) in the presence of attacks, failures, or accidents, as defined by Ellison. The original contributions of this paper are a methodology and its tool support, through a framework called surreal. The methodology starts from a misuse case specification enriched with UML profile annotations and obtains, as a by-product, a survivability assessment model (SAM). Using predefined queries the survivability properties are proved in the SAM. A total of fourteen properties have been formulated and also implemented in surreal, which encompasses tools to model the security specification, to create the SAM and to prove the properties. Finally, the paper validates the methodology and the framework using a cyber–physical system (CPS) case study, in the automotive field
Towards a model-driven engineering approach for the assessment of non-functional properties using multi-formalism
No full textModel-driven techniques can be used to automatically produce formal models from different views of a system realised by using several modelling languages and notations. Specifications are transformed into formal models so facilitating the analysis of complex system for design, validation or verification purposes. However, no single formalism suits for representing all system’s views. In particular, the assessment of non-functional properties often requires integrated modelling approaches. The ultimate goal of the research work described in this paper is to develop a comprehensive, theoretical and practical framework able to support the development and the integration of new or existing model-driven approaches for the automatic generation of multi-formalism models. This paper defines the core theoretical ideas on which the framework is based and demonstrates their concrete applicability to the development of a multi-formalism approach for performability assessment
Model-Driven Availability Evaluation of Railway Control Systems
No full textMaintenance of real-world systems is a complex task involving several actors, procedures and technologies. Proper approaches are needed in order to evaluate the impact of different maintenance policies considering cost/benefit factors. To that aim, maintenance models may be used within availability, performability or safety models, the latter developed using formal languages according to the requirements of international standards. In this paper, a model-driven approach is described for the development of formal maintenance and reliability models for the availability evaluation of repairable systems. The approach facilitates the use of formal models which would be otherwise difficult to manage, and provides the basis for automated models construction. Starting from an extension to maintenance aspects of the MARTE-DAM profile for dependability analysis, an automated process based on model-to-model transformations is described. The process is applied to generate a Repairable Fault Trees model from the MARTE-DAM specification of the Radio Block Centre - a modern railway controller
Enabling the usage of UML in the verification of railway systems: The DAM-rail approach
No full textThe need for integration of model-based verification into industrial processes has produced several attempts to define Model-Driven solutions implementing a unifying approach to system development. A recent trend is to implement tool chains supporting the developer both in the design phase and V&V activities. In this Model-Driven context, specific domains require proper modelling approaches, especially for what concerns RAM (Reliability, Availability, Maintainability) analysis and fulfillment of international standards. This paper specifically addresses the definition of a Model-Driven approach for the evaluation of RAM attributes in railway applications to automatically generate formal models. For this aim we extend the MARTE-DAM UML profile with concepts related to maintenance aspects and service degradation, and show that the MARTE-DAM framework can be successfully specialized for the railway domain. Model transformations are then defined to generate Repairable Fault Tree and Bayesian Network models from MARTE-DAM specifications. The whole process is applied to the railway domain in two different availability studies
